AFC trying to sell “coalition” as “alliance”

Dear Editor,

The Alliance For Change (AFC) is trying its utmost to sell the “coalition” talks as an “alliance” talk to Berbicians. On January 24, Daizal Samad did just that.

Firstly, he admitted that the coalition talks are of great concern even among the strongest supporters. But then he began to spin a yarn of deception in trying to tell Berbicians that there is a difference between a coalition and an alliance.

He told his viewers that a coalition is a union between political parties but an alliance is not a union. Being a professor in English Literature, I cannot say that he is ignorant of the meanings, but I can just conclude that this is deliberate deception coming from a man who wants to sell moral virtues to the Guyanese people.

It’s just semantics. When political parties agreed to work together in a joint action it is a coalition. The word coalition has a nasty connotation in Guyanese politics, so the AFC is at pains to explain to its members and supporters that what they are proposing is not a coalition but an alliance.

Both words suggest a coming together of two or more political parties to support a common policy, and in this case, it is to get rid of the PPP/C Government and to install Nagamootoo as the President.

Secondly, he admitted that in this alliance negotiation, the AFC is willing to accept the minimum position of leadership – we will have the Presidential candidate he adamantly concluded. He then pointed out that he is in receipt of a document from Moses Nagamootoo which clarifies that position.

Thirdly, he said that the proposed alliance will be between the AFC and the other parties and other groups. Now this is the most confusing part – if the AFC is interested to form an alliance with all political parties and organizations, why is it that it is only APNU which AFC is having this secret alliance talk with?

Why is the alliance talk shrouded in secrecy? According to the media, there is an ongoing negotiation between AFC and APNU and no other parties or groups, which is a clandestine move by the AFC to fool its members and supporters about the so-called pro-democracy alliance.

The AFC wants to use the PNC to give Nagamootoo the Presidency of Guyana. They are not concerned about the social and economic development of this country.

Lastly, Samad sounded the death knell for hydro-electric power. He said that hydro-power is finished, it is not cutting edge technology. He told Berbicians that when the AFC is elected they will install underwater turbines in the Atlantic Ocean and will ask his friend, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, to open two car assembly factories in Guyana.

Again, he failed to tell Berbicians that this cutting-edge technology he is referring to is still a work-in-progress. An article written in bionomic.com stated that “the benefits of utilizing hydro-electric energy are abundant and demand that further development take place throughout the world”.

The AFC is talking about job creation and that 60 per cent of youths are unemployed (according to Samad) and yet they and APNU are against the Amaila Hydro Electric Project, which has the capacity to lower electricity costs, encourage foreign and local investors and create jobs for those youths.

Carry on dreaming, Samad!

Haseef Yusuf

AFC Councillor

Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne)